Open AccessThe genus C ordyceps : a chemical and pharmacological review
Author(s) -
Yue Kai,
Ye Meng,
Zhou Zuji,
Sun Wen,
Lin Xiao
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 2042-7158
pISSN - 0022-3573
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-7158.2012.01601.x
Subject(s) - cordyceps , cordycepin , traditional medicine , cordyceps militaris , genus , biology , traditional chinese medicine , ergosterol , medicine , biochemistry , botany , alternative medicine , pathology
Abstract Objectives Natural remedies are becoming increasingly popular and important in the public and scientific communities. Historically, natural remedies have been shown to present interesting biological and pharmacological activity and are used as chemotherapeutic agents. For centuries C ordyceps , which is a genus of more than 400 species in the family C lavicipitaceae, has been used in traditional C hinese medicine. This study highlights the chemistry and pharmacology of C ordyceps , especially C ordyceps sinensis ( B erk.) S acc. and C. militaris ( F r.) L . Information was obtained from G oogle S cholar and the journal databases P ub M ed and S copus. Key findings Many bioactive components of C ordyceps have been extracted, such as cordycepin, cordycepic acid, ergosterol, polysaccharides, nucleosides and peptides. Studies show that C ordyceps and its active principles possess a wide range of pharmacological actions, such as anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumour, antihyperglycaemic, antiapoptosis, immunomodulatory, nephroprotective, and hepatoprotective. Summary More research is required to discover the full extent of the activity of Cordyceps .